Americans demonstrated their concerns over middle eastern energy dependence on fossil fuels and rising gas prices with a landslide defeat of Republican energy policies. These concerns are inextricably linked to fuel efficient cars and cleaner alternative fuels. The Democrats big win was a major bolster to green cars and alternative fuels.
Among the most striking politcal changes is the chairman of the Environment and Public Works Committee. Previously it was Republican James Inhofe, who referred to global warming as "the greatest hoax ever perpetrated on mankind,". Now Barbara Boxer is in, a California Democrat who strongly advocates mandatory cuts in greenhouse gas emissions.
A close second to the most striking changes is in the House Resources Committee. Jerry McNerney, a California Democrat and wind-energy executive, will replace the current Republican chairman, Richard W. Pombo, who fought to open public lands to private interests.
Fuel efficient standards are emerging as a major political topic. Fuel-efficiency has declined during the past decade for nine of the 13 major manufacturers selling vehicles in the United States, according to a new study by the Consumer Federation of America.
Money losing U.S. automakers say that they can't compete with fuel efficient imports as they suffer from a more than $1,000-per-vehicle disadvantage of higher costs for health insurance and pensions and therefore require government bailouts. This argument is continuing to lose steam though as profitable companies like Honda now produce more than 80% of their vehicles in the US and Canada.
Democrat Edward Markey has proposed raising combined light truck-car standards to an average of 33 miles per gallon by 2016 models. Democrat Barack Obama proposed increasing the average to 40.5 mpg for passenger vehicles and 32.6 mpg for the light-truck category, which includes SUVs, by 2020. Jerry McNerney, who defeated Pombo in California, says he will "dramatically increase the fuel efficiency of new vehicles."
Fuel efficiency and energy independence is already taking a foothold in the next presedential election as likely Republican presidential candidate John McCain of Arizona and Democrat/Independent Joseph Lieberman of Connecticut both wish to address global warming. This will put even more pressure on the current Bush administration to cooperate with the Democrats as the Republicans look to avoid another blowout.
The future is definitely looking a little greener.
